SET amid a vast expanse of greenery, Bandar Tropicana Aman at Telok Panglima Garang, in Kuala Langat, Selangor offers residents modern conveniences and a tranquil natural landscape.
But that idyllic setting has been increasingly marred in recent years by recurring air pollution caused by open burning on nearby agricultural and vacant land.
Residents also claim that several industrial premises are operating in surrounding areas without approval.
A town hall meeting was held recently involving relevant authorities to provide updates to residents and discuss further actions.
Kuala Langat Zone 3 councillor Abu Bakar Mohamad, who moderated the town hall, hoped the session would shed light on challenges and roles faced by the government agencies involved.
“We are not here to blame anyone. We are here to find solutions,” he said.
Kuala Langat Municipal Council (MPKL) said more than 20 complaints about open burning have been received this year alone, prompting joint enforcement operations with multiple government agencies.
MPKL Solid Waste and Environmental Health Department director Norain Mohamed said most of the cases were linked to land clearing for agricultural activities.
“Joint operations are needed as open burning falls under the jurisdiction of several agencies.
“Our inspections have also uncovered a handful of premises carrying out recycling activities in the locality,” she said.
StarMetro highlighted residents’ concerns over the recurring smoke and odour in its reports on April 21 and 27, but the problem has persisted.
Fuming concerns
Myra Cheng, who spoke on residents’ behalf, said they had to contend with chemical fumes and foul odours almost daily.
“This area has many senior citizens and we are concerned prolonged exposure to that toxic smell could affect their health.
“Some residents are also worried about doing outdoor activities at nearby parks,” she said.
Cheng said residents had been documenting the burning activities by taking photographs and recording videos.
“We suspect there are factories carrying out open burning at night to avoid detection by authorities,” she said.
Cheng proposed deploying enforcement personnel more frequently to the area to ensure quicker responses.
“We understand the authorities are already making some effort, but more needs to be done to address the problem,” she said, while urging authorities to issue higher fines to deter future offenders.
In response, Abu Bakar said authorities sometimes faced resistance from landowners and operators during enforcement exercises.
“Some would let their guard dogs roam the area to scare away enforcement personnel.
“There have also been times when we arrived for operations and the burning had stopped.
“This complicates matters because we need to catch them in the act to be able to document the proof and take action.”
Abu Bakar said although photos and videos from the public were welcomed, authorities still needed to carry out formal investigations.
Following feedback gathered during the town hall, he said the council would conduct more targeted operations to tackle the problem.
Constraints abound
Despite insistence by residents for stricter action to combat open burning and potentially illegal recycling facilities, authorities say they are held back by bureaucratic procedures and manpower shortages.
Sepang Department of Environment (DOE) head Halmy Sirat said issuing compounds could take time as each case had to be referred to the state deputy public prosecutor first.
“This process can take up to six months.
“We will first instruct the offenders to carry out remedial measures to ensure the burning does not recur.
“If they fail to comply or repeat the offence, they will be charged,” he said.
Kuala Langat assistant agricultural officer Ahmad Nasharuddin Ismail said the Agricultural Department lacked a specific Act to take action against operators responsible for open burning.
“We can only give advice,” he said, adding that agricultural operators were not currently required to register with the department.
Ahmad Nasharuddin said checks found some owners had rented out their land and were unaware of the activities being conducted there.
“Our checks also revealed that many areas with open burning are operated by foreigners.”
Telok Panglima Garang Fire and Rescue Station senior officer Romizinizam Md Som said they were held back by limited manpower.
“At present, Kuala Langat is served by only two fire stations, one each in Telok Panglima Garang and Banting.
“We are short-handed. Sometimes, we only have five personnel per team, which hampers our firefighting operations,” he said.
The high composition of peat soil around Bandar Tropicana Aman presented another challenge, Romizinizam added.
“Inside peat soil, fires can smoulder 1m to 1.2m underground and remain undetected.
“When temperatures rise, they can reignite on the surface and spread over a much wider area.”
Current actions
Despite the challenges, efforts have been made to address the open burning issue in the area.
Kuala Langat Land and District Office representative Muhammad Fikry Azman said some landowners have been called in to discuss complaints related to activities on their properties.
“In addition to taking part in operations with other agencies, we also conduct engagement sessions with landowners.
“If they fail to comply with the initial reminders, we will issue heavier fines against them.”
MPKL Enforcement Department director Rizaki Jaapar said the council would seek the cooperation of the Energy Commission and Air Selangor to disconnect electricity and water supplies to premises found violating the law.
The latest meeting followed earlier reports highlighting similar concerns.
In the April 21 report, residents voiced concerns over recurring open burning cases – some of which they believed were linked to illegal dumpsites – that had filled their neighbourhood with foul-smelling smoke.
They also expressed worries after a fire at a vacant site next to their housing estate in late March took nearly a week to extinguish.
At the time, MPKL said some open burning sites were located in remote and hard-to-reach areas, hampering enforcement and clean-up efforts.
The council also said it had issued 277 warnings and 226 notices for open burning and illegal dumping between 2024 and June 2026, while seizing 25 vehicles believed to have been used in illegal activities.
In response to the report, MPKL raided three dumpsites involved in open burning activities.
In addition to two seized forklifts, the operation uncovered unauthorised workers’ quarters at the site.
The landowners were given 30 days to clear the site.
Those with information on illegal dumping may call MPKL at 012-300 4130 or visit mpkl.spab.gov.my
They may also call DOE hotline at 1-800-88-2727 or submit complaints via e-aduan.gov.my
